HOUSTON—Professor William Schulz and his wife, Jackie, a nurse, were so impressed by Shen Yun Performing Arts during a previous visit that they returned to the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center on Jan. 31 to see the performance again.
Shen Yun proved just as good as they had remembered it to be.
“We absolutely loved it,” Mr. Schulz exclaimed. “I’ve seen performances in Paris, London, Broadway. There’s nothing like this in the world. This is amazing.”
Mrs. Schulz is already looking ahead to their next visit. “Beautiful, very talented. The music was amazing. Dancing is amazing. We love it,” she said. “We'll be back next year.”
For thousands of years, Chinese civilization was deeply spiritual, guided by the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, which shaped people’s values and daily lives. In the decades following the communist regime’s rise to power, however, much of this cultural heritage was pushed to the brink of extinction.
Since 2006, New York–based Shen Yun has sought to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture, presenting it on renowned stages around the world.
Mr. Schulz especially appreciated the artists’ portrayal of China’s authentic history.
“[Shen Yun’s] got 5,000 years of history in there, ... it shows us a glimpse into the real, authentic China, as it was,” he shared. “The madness of Mao and [the cultural revolution] destroyed everything.”
With Chinese heritage on his mother’s side, Mr. Schulz resonated with the performance on a personal level.
“My mother’s family were Chinese, and although I was not raised in the culture, I’m a quarter Asian,” he said. “[Shen Yun] helps me rediscover that.”
He believes the company’s emphasis on spirituality and traditional values is deeply needed today. “A grounding in those values can only help us,” he said. “Culture that is like ours in America [is] spiritually disordered. So, I think we need more rediscovering of the ancient traditions for sure.”
However, due to Shen Yun’s focus on reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth of events under communist rule in present-day China, it is currently forbidden by the regime from performing in China.
While saddened, Mr. Schulz said he is not surprised.
“It’s unfortunate, but typical of the approach that says any sort of questioning or any sort of independent thought must not be allowed. That’s the system of totalitarian government like that,” he shared.
“Hopefully, China will be restored one day, and its people will be free. Many people in America don’t remember this, but we were friends and allies for years with China. Hopefully, one day, China will be free.”
For its 2026 touring season, Shen Yun’s eight equally-sized companies will be performing in over 200 cities across five continents. Met with wide acclaim since its establishment, the company can be expected to return each year with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions.
